OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could join rare club of back-to-back-to-back NBA MVPs this season

Manila Times - Oct 19, 2026

Bill Russell. Wilt Chamberlain. Larry Bird. That's the full list of those who managed to win three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player awards. Nobody has pulled off that feat in 40 years, and the star power not on that list — names like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — speaks to how difficult it is to accomplish. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder has a chance to get there this season, whether he wants to or not. His focus — as it has been in past years as well — is on winning and on championships, not on anything of the individual variety. “I’ve just got to be the best player I can be for this basketball team, win as many games as possible," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That kind of recipe for me in the past has kind of worked, and I’ve been fortunate to win two in a row. No different for me going into this season.” He is the best player on the team that is essentially the co-favorite, along with the San Antonio Spurs, to win the NBA championship. He's collected more than 75% of the first-place MVP votes over the last two seasons, and his scoring average...

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